The Great Smoky Mountain National Park is a park like no other with abundant wildlife and frequent bear sightings. It’s been on my list too long, but I finally made my way to it for a three-day trip I won’t soon forget.

Three Reasons Great Smoky Mountain National Park is Famous

Great Smoky Mountain National Park is famous for its “smoky” vistas, extensive hiking trails, and density of wild black bears and synchronous fireflies. It’s one of the most popular destinations in the United States, attracting over 14 million visitors annually. For context, Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, received about 17 million visitors in 2022.

1. The Cherokee people first named the Smoky Mountains “Shaconage,” meaning a place or land of blue smoke for the early morning and late evening mist that hangs over the mountains, obscuring its grand vistas. Like the Blue Ridge Mountains, the color comes from changing elevation and regional humidity coupled with dense vegetation that releases particles that react with the sunlight and moisture to form the bluish tint.

• There are about 1,900 black bears in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park; if you’re doing the math, this is about two bears per square mile. It’s not an exaggeration – I saw three black bears in three days, one even on a busy highway leaving the park.

• Synchronous fireflies are one type of various fireflies living in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. However, these are slightly different than you may be accustomed to seeing. These fireflies synchronize their flashing light patterns in a simultaneous rhythmic group versus normal fireflies, which flash of their own accord. Imagine that! If you want to see them, you must enter a lottery in April for the summer spectacle.

The Great History of Smoky Mountain National Park

The history of the Smoky Mountains as a National Park began in the early 1900s when a group of conservationists campaigned for its protection. However, the mountain’s history started long before. The government authorized the park’s creation in 1926, but they needed several years to buy the land from families and companies before they could dedicate it in 1940.

Whenever I visit national parks, I try to understand their history. Not all families who lived in the Smoky Mountains wanted to sell their land, but like many other national parks, the government forced them to leave. These families had lived in the mountains for generations, and visitors will still see signs of them in the few preserved buildings and structures.

After establishing the park, the Civilian Conservation Corps, a government program to supply manual labor jobs for young men during the Great Depression, built roads, trails, campgrounds, and other facilities.

1. Drive Through Great Smoky Mountain National Park

You can drive through Great Smoky Mountain National Park to nearby cities like Ashville, North Carolina, Nashville, Gatlinburg, Knoxville, or Chattanooga. Or you could spend days just driving around inside the park. I’ve been to 29 national parks and there are the types that are closed off like a theme park and those that are part of the community that you might drive through on your way to someplace else. This is the latter.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park has over 522,000 acres and spans over 816 square miles between North Carolina and Tennessee, making it one of the largest protected areas in the eastern United States.

Driving in the park is incredibly scenic due to the various landscapes, including mountains, valleys, forests, streams and waterfalls. However, if you’d like to see all of these elements, be prepared for a lot of driving. One day, I spent over six hours driving through the park from one location to the next, getting out only to take two short hikes, stretch my legs and stop at visitor’s centers.

Pro tip: If I did it again, I would book my accommodations in different areas around the park so I wouldn’t have to drive back and forth. Multiple campgrounds and various cities nearby make this easy to do. I stayed in Maggie Valley, which is lovely and adjacent to a park entrance; however, no matter how far into the park I drove, I needed to get back to my lodgings at night, which took a lot of time.

2. Explore Unique Smoky Mountain Visitor’s Centers

Visitor centers are conveniently spaced as you drive throughout the park to give you different perspectives and a place to take a break.

• Clingmans Dome Visitor Contact Station is at the start of the Clingmans Dome trailhead and has a small shop.
• Cades Cove Visitor Center features displays of animals, mills, and local tribes and has several historic structures nearby.
• Oconaluftee Visitor Center has various exhibits on mountain life, a farm museum with log structures, plus a gift shop. I saw an elk there. Initially, I wasn’t sure what it was, as it nibbled the trees. It was a pretty animal with brown fur and a long, slender neck. It looked like a cross between a deer, moose, or a regal donkey.
• Sugarlands Visitor Center is in Gatlinburg. It’s bustling and crowded in the middle of the most touristy part of town.

Aside from the displays, the centers also host ranger-led programs, including guided hikes, campfire talks, and other programs. These are a great way to learn about the park’s history, natural resources, and wildlife.

3. Try Popular Hikes in Smoky Mountain National Park

There are over 850 miles of hiking trails, including 70 miles of the Appalachian Trail in Smoky Mountain National Park. If you’re hiking, be prepared with bear spray and a plan. The parking lots at the trailheads fill up early and roadside parking could add up to another two miles to your hike. Seriously.

• Alum Cave Trail to Mount LeConte: This 5.5-mile round-trip hike is one of the most popular in the park, and for good reason. It offers stunning views of the surrounding mountains and valleys and the opportunity to see various wildlife.
• Andrews Bald: This 3.4-mile round-trip hike is an excellent option for those looking for a shorter hike with beautiful views.
• Rainbow Falls: This 2.4-mile round-trip hike is a great option for those looking for a shorter hike with a waterfall. The trail is easy in difficulty, with only a few inclines.
• Clingmans Dome: This 0.5-mile round-trip hike is an excellent option for those looking for an easy hike with potentially stunning views. The paved trail leads to an observation tower that offers 360-degree views of the surrounding mountains if the fog subsides.
• Mount LeConte: This mountain is one of the most popular hiking destinations in the park. There are several different trails to the summit, which offer stunning views of the surrounding mountains.
• Laurel Falls: This waterfall is popular because it’s easy to access. Visitors can take a short, paved trail to the base of the falls to enjoy the cool spray and beautiful scenery.
• Quiet Walkways: Along the roadside, there are several “quiet walkways” where you can pull over and walk in the woods. These aren’t destination trails but tree-filled, lush and lovely.

4. Discover Special Locations in the Smoky Mountains Worth Visiting

Cades Cove

One of the most popular places in Great Smoky Mountain National Park is Cades Cove. An 11-mile driving loop leads drivers through prairies, open fields, and past historic structures and to the Cades Cove Visitor Center is in the middle of the driving loop trail.

This historic valley was once home to a thriving community, and many of the original buildings and structures remain. Visitors can drive or bike along the 11-mile loop road, stopping to explore historic churches, schools, and homesteads. The road is closed to automobiles each Wednesday, May through September.

Cades Cove is so famous because wildlife sightings are common, especially during the early morning and late evening in spring and summer. I saw two bears while driving through the Cades Cove loop. What a gift to see these animals in the wild while safe in my vehicle and not alone on a trail.

Pro tip: Use the bathroom beforehand and pack drinks and snacks. Though the loop is only 11 miles long, it can take hours due to traffic stopping to watch the animals.

Cabins and other historic structures once belonged to the Walker sisters – six unmarried women who lived in a log cabin in Cades Cove; the Tipton family, who owned the mill near the visitor’s center; the Ogle family, who helped to build the first church in Cades Cove; and the Caughron family whose cabin sits alongside Abrams Creek. They were the last to leave Cades Cove before it was turned into Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Clingmans’s Dome Summit

This is the highest point in the park at an elevation of 6,643 feet. It is also the highest point in Tennessee and the third highest point east of the Mississippi River.

The trail to the top is paved and only about half a mile long; however, it’s steep. There are benches along the side, filled with people taking breaks the morning I visited. Still, even this high up, there are only rare breaks in the fog.

The path to the observation tower at the top intersects with the Appalachian Trail and it’s not uncommon to see through hikers with big packs taking in the sights at the top of the mountain.

Newfound Gap

This mountain pass is the lowest drivable point in the park, and it offers stunning views of the surrounding mountains. You can visit the Newfound Gap Visitor Center to learn more about the park’s history and natural resources. This mountain pass is the lowest drivable point in the park, and it offers stunning views of the surrounding mountains.

Gatlinburg

When I drove through downtown Gatlinburg I got stuck in a lengthy tourist traffic jam. Thousands of people filled the streets, visiting a carnival of tourist shops from candy confections of all kinds, wax museums, fudge, and “old time” photos. It is filled with neon signs and lots of energy. Depending on your viewpoint, this might be a good place to stay overnight or to take the kids after a long day of exploring.

Cherokee

Cherokee, Tennessee is a small town in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. It is home to the Cherokee Nation, one of the three federally recognized Cherokee tribes. I passed through the town daily to hop on the Blue Ridge Parkway scenic highway as it winds through the Great Smoky Mountains. There is plenty to see here, but don’t miss these two:

• The Oconaluftee Indian Village recreates a traditional Cherokee village from the 1760s. Visitors can learn about Cherokee culture and traditions through interactive exhibits and demonstrations. There are also many small businesses selling authentic Cherokee arts and crafts.

• Stop by Soco Falls, about 10 miles outside Cherokee in Maggie Valley, for an excellent waterfall with less than a quarter-mile hike. The morning I arrived, I was the only person there and I admired two waterfalls that merged into a picturesque landscape.

5. Try Camping and Fishing in Great Smoky Mountain National Park

Aside from hiking and scenic drives, the park is also popular for camping and fishing. The Smoky Mountains offer various camping options, from campgrounds with amenities to backcountry camping. Visitors can camp in one of the park’s many campgrounds or obtain a backcountry camping permit and camp in the wilderness.

Anglers will find various fish, including trout, bass, and catfish. Visitors can fish in the park’s rivers and streams, but they must purchase a fishing license from the state of Tennessee or North Carolina.

Visit Great Smoky Mountain National Park

Great Smoky Mountain National Park is worth visiting if you like beautiful drives, hiking, seeing animals in their natural habitat, and exploring the history and other ways of life, especially of the Appalachian people.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park doesn’t charge an entrance fee. However, parking tags are required for all vehicles parking for longer than 15 minutes. Parking tags can be purchased online at recreation.gov or in person at the visitor centers.

• Daily parking tag: $5
• Weekly parking tag: $15
• Annual parking tag: $40

Read stories about other national parks here.

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